Amjl™*'ri7™m  }  Proposed  Changes  in  the  Pharmacopeia.  289 
encourage  hope  deferred.  There  are  other  international  uniformities, 
as  of  weights  and  of  moneys,  which  are  certainly  of  much  greater 
importance,  and  which  are  likely  to  take  precedence  in  time. 
This  topic  was  made  the  subject  of  one  of  its  "  Queries  "  by  the 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association  in  1875,  and  received  from  Prof. 
Sharpies  an  intelligent  examination  in  a  paper  presented  at  the  meeting 
of  1 876J  The  "  Query  "  was  renewed  at  the  same  session  in  the 
following  form  :  ct  What  advantages  would  result  from  the  substitution 
of  parts  by  weight  for  absolute  quantities  in  the  revision  of  the  Phar- 
macopoeia ?  and  if  any  disadvantages,  other  than  those  incident  to 
change,  what  are  they?"2  This  question  will  receive  a  still  fuller 
discussion  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Association  in  September  next 
(of  the  present  year,  1877.) 
Theoretically,  nothing  appears  simpler  than  the  translation  of  con- 
crete weights  into  abstract  "parts";  or  these  latter  being  given,  the 
converse  translation  of  them  into  any  given  order  of  weights.  But 
the  practical  application  is  by  no  means  so  easy  as  the  general  direction. 
Let  us  take  a  single  case  for  trial — at  random.  The  Pharmacopoeia 
opens  at  page  274.  We  will  transform  the  formula  at  the  bottom  of 
the  page,  (that  for  the  Aromatic  Spirit  of  Ammonia)  into  weights — say 
grains,  then  these  into  their  lowest  numbers  for  u  parts,"  and  lastly 
these  into  convenient  whole  numbers  by  an  approximation,  to  repre- 
sent finally  the  proportions  "  in  parts  by  weight." 
Spiritus  Ammonia  Aromaticus.  {U.  S.  P.) 
I 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Specific 
Gravity. 
By 
Weight. 
In  lowest 
terms. 
Approxi- 
mately. 
Take  of 
Carbonate  of  Ammonium, 
5' 
480 
grs. 
37 
36 
Water  of  Ammonia, 
•96 
1312 
<< 
IOI 
IOO 
Oil  of  Lemon, 
f^iiss 
•847 
120 
<< 
9'23 
IO 
Oil  of  Nutmeg, 
n\,  xl 
•95 
36 
{< 
2*77 
3 
Oil  of  Lavender, 
rti  xv 
•875 
13 
u 
1 
1 
Alcohol, 
Oiss 
•835 
9*3i 
u 
702 
700 
Water, 
I'OOO 
(1879 
") 
(i44) 
(150) 
q.  s.  to  make 
Oii 
12971 
grs. 
997 
1000 
'Proceedings  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  1 87 6,  vol.  xxiv,  pp.  453-56. 
2  Proceedings  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  1876,  vol.  xxiv,  p.  15. 
19 
